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NEW YORK (CNN) — Nintendo has appointed Doug Bowser as the next head of its American operations — and the joke hasn't been lost on anyone.
For those who have never played any of Nintendo's hugely popular Mario games, Bowser is a giant, anthropomorphic turtle-like creature that serves as the main villain in the decades-old franchise.
Nintendo fans jumped on the coincidence when Bowser — a University of Utah graduate — was first hired by Nintendo from Electronic Arts in 2015, and Bowser himself has had some fun with it on his Twitter feed.
His appointment as president of Nintendo of America has breathed new life into the joke, with thousands of people sharing it on social media.
"Bowser" was one of the top worldwide trends on Twitter on Thursday night in the United States.
The man Bowser is replacing, Reggie Fils-Aime, who has led Nintendo of America for the past 13 years, joined in as well.
"With a name like Bowser, who better to hold the keys to the Nintendo," Fils-Aime said in a video posted on social media.
BREAKING NEWS: Bowser is the new boss of @NintendoAmerica. He also happens to be a University of Utah alumnus. No really. Congrats, Doug (@thetruebowser)! 🎮@utahalums#ImagineU
— University of Utah (@UUtah) February 21, 2019
📰: https://t.co/V5muQHZONshttps://t.co/LZ61QvhWul
He couldn't resist a few other wisecracks before he leaves the company on April 15.
"This is not 'game over' for me, but instead 'leveling up' to more time with my wife, family and friends," he said in a statement.
Whether Mario and Luigi still have a future at Nintendo remains to be seen.
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